Debt: The First 5000 Years - David Graeber [Economics Series]

Why we picked it

Join us for a discussion of *Debt: The First 5,000 Years* by David Graeber. The synopsis and some tentative discussion questions are below. If as you read, you encounter some thought-provoking lines and/or find yourself wrestling with some burning questions, please note them down and bring them to the discussion! Whether you’ve read the whole book or just want to explore some of its central ideas, you’re welcome to join; and if you need help accessing the text, please feel free to reach out to me directly. **Synopsis:** In *Debt: The First 5,000 Years*, Graeber challenges the conventional economic story that money emerged from barter and that markets preceded states. Drawing on anthropology, history, and ancient law codes, he argues that systems of credit and debt long predate coinage and that economic life has always been embedded in social and moral frameworks. Across civilizations—from Mesopotamia to medieval Europe to modern capitalism—he traces recurring cycles in which periods d